International Buddhist Film Festival will be held in Penang from 2 October to 4 October at Dewan Sri Phor Tay, level 2, SMJK Phor Tay. This festival is organize by Than Hsiang Temple.

The objective of the festival is to create greater awareness of Buddhism among the general public through the medium of films. It presents Buddhist themed and inspired cinema of all kinds: full-length movies and documentaries. Admission is by ticket only and ticket fee is RM 1 each show.
Ticket Counters:
- Than Hsiang Temple 04-6414822
- SMJK Phor Tay 04-6442772
- Phor Tay Private High School 04-2271469
- YBBM Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia 04-2287146 / 2291845
- Zen Xin Vegetarian 04-2286828
- Green Garden Vegetarian & Healthy Food 012-4890508, 012-9117508

Please contact Than Hsiang Temple during office hours for more information: 04-6414822

The schedule:
Oct 2:
8.00pm 开幕 Opening
8.30pm 《未生怨》

Oct 3:
10.00am
- 《小字条》
- 《破浪而出》
12.00pm
- Mindfulness And Murder
2.00pm
- Brilliant Moon
- 108 Yaks
4.00pm
- 玄奘1 – 绝域求生
- 玄奘2 – 圆满
6.00pm
- Chan Practice
- Buddha
- Food of the Buddha 2
8.00pm
- Grievance from a Former Birth
- The Trap

Oct 4:
10.00am
- Brilliant Moon
- Food of the Buddha 1
12.00pm
- Food of the Buddha 2
- Road To Peace
2.00pm
- Buddha （中文字幕）
- 玄奘1 – 绝域求生
- 玄奘2 – 圆满
- 《破浪而出》
4.00pm
- 3 Marks of Existence
6.00pm
- Chan Practice
- Buddhism After Tsunami
8.00pm
- 《未生怨》
- 《小字条》

Movie Synopsis:
1) 《未生怨》 “Grievance from a Former Birth”
The story of “Grievance from a Former Birth” is based on India Buddhist story staged in Chinese opera; itis a very interesting expression of two Asian ancient civilizations. The vivid and touching plot explores vice and virtue, familial bonds and the eternal truth of life. The story carries with it the positive message of adhering to virtue and abstaining from evil. This ancient tale has survived the test of time precisely because the theme has universal application.

2) 《小字条》Little Note
Little Note is a short story with themes of encouragement and resilience, inspiring everyone impacted by life’s uncertainties, to soldier on with hope and courage.

Living with little wants in the countryside, Zhiren and his mother expressed their love and support for each other in a simple way - by exchanging little notes. These words of encouragement spurred their every step forward in life, helping them cast aside fear and despair in times of uncertainty.

As Venerable Sik Kwang Sheng, technical advisor of the film said, “Little Note is our gift of encouragement to you. Though life has its challenges, courage and patience will lead you through it all.”

Little Note will meander its way into your heart like a clear, pristine stream always.

3) Mindfulness And Murder
When a homeless boy living at the youth hostel run by a Buddhist monastery turns up dead, the Abbot recruits Father Ananda, a former Police detective, to find out why. He discovers that all is not well at the monastery in the heart of Bangkok. Together with his dogged assistant, an orphaned boy named Jak, Father Ananda uncovers a startling series of clues that eventually exposes the motivation behind the crime and leads him to the murderer.

This is a good film but there are some scenes of violence and portrayal of some Thai monks smoking or indulging in astrology may not be acceptable to local Buddhists who believe they give the wrong impression of Buddhism. But the portrayal is not incorrect for much of what’s happening in Buddhism in Thailand.

4) Brilliant Moon
Brilliant Moon chronicles the life of writer, poet, and meditation master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Tibet’s most revered 20th century Buddhist teachers. This documentary uses animation, unseen archival footage, and photos along with interviews of Tibet’s great teachers, to tell Khyentse Rinpoche’s moving life story, from birth to death, and then to rebirth.

5) 108 Yaks
108 Yaks is a remarkable and original story about bearing hardship for the love of the gentle and peaceful yak. Inspired by the advice of his guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche, a monk leads a herd of Himalayan yaks across a rugged terrain of mountain passes, narrow valleys, freezing rivers, and treacherous cliffs to a remote haven in the high grasslands of northeast Nepal.

6) Road to Peace
Filmed in Great Britain, experience the nature and wisdom of the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, and discover how he inspires millions of people of all nationalities and creeds to live more meaningful lives in harmony with each other, and with the planet. Road to Peace captures the simple, human and humorous side of the Dalai Lama.

7) The Trap
This short documentary by Lina Verchery examines the unlikely interactions between French-speaking fishermen and Buddhist monks and nuns in a Cape Breton village, Canada. Seemingly divided by language, culture and religion, these people share more than meets the eye. The film delicately weaves a connection between the beliefs of the two groups, who both regard life as a cycle.

8) Three Marks of Existence
M, a young man who wishes for a better life embarks on a pilgrimage to India, visiting the four main holy sites of Buddhism. On his journey, he meets people who shape his understanding of Buddhism in many unexpected ways: Uncle Kamol, who hopes to heal his own pain; Ayako, a Japanese backpacker searching for an answer to a question she does not understand; and Jane, a “hipster” who has everything M could ever want but is never satisfied. To achieve what he wishes for, M will have to take one last journey in order to face the origin of dissatisfaction.

9) Food of the Buddha
Filmed in Korean monasteries, this is a two-part series on how Buddhist practitioners look at food. Food is medicine that sustains the body and life. It is the energy of practice itself. Thus temple cuisine becomes part of the effort to awaken the Buddha innate yet dormant in all of us.

Part 1 of this film is called Nourishment for Enlightenment
Part 2 is Offerings for Liberation.

10) Buddhism after the Tsunami - Souls of Zen
This documentary by Tim Graf presents perspectives on Buddhism as practiced by clergy and millions of families in Japan today by drawing on ethnographic fieldwork about prayer practices and mortuary rituals “on the ground”. Souls of Zen thereby refers to one of Japan’s most enduring traditions – the commemoration of ancestral spirits. This tradition has changed much during the last few decades, and most recently, in the wake of the great Tsunami that hit Japan.

11) Chan Practice
Chan practice is for health, happiness and freedom. In this fast and changing world, most of us are stressful, bewildered, anxious and lost. We are in dire need of a method to manage our daily stress, calm our emotion, clear our mind and bring our body and mind to a state of orderliness. Chan is the way. Chan practice is easy and everyone can do it under the guidance of a teacher.

12) Buddha
This is the story of Siddharta Gautama who became the Buddha, the Enlightened One. He is the beacon of wisdom that shines through a long dark night. He is thus our guiding light as we sojourn in this sea of Samsara. For forty-nine years, the Buddha journeyed barefoot along the shores of the Ganges, leading us along the way to liberation and full enlightenment. Today the Buddha’s message is found throughout the entire world.